owed her
chum to lead her down the road.

"I'll have to think up a new excuse for calling on Herman," Penny
remarked as they drew near the house. "That one about wanting to buy
eggs is getting pretty thread bare."

"You're inviting trouble to go there again," Susan warned darkly.
"Herman will suspect something is wrong the minute you ask for his
picture."

"I don't mean to ask," Penny chuckled. "Perhaps I'll just snap it and
run."

There was no sign of activity about the Crocker premises. They did not
see the dog, and when they rapped on the door there was no response.

"Mr. Crocker and his grandson are gone," Susan said in relief.

"I guess I'll have to give up the picture then," Penny sighed. "I had
a particular use for it too."

"Why don't you snap one of the house?" Susan suggested.

"I might do that just to finish out the roll. Then we can take the
film down to Kendon and have it developed."

"You mean now?"

"Yes, I'm in a hurry to get the prints. Dad may take it into his head
to leave this place any day and I have considerable unfinished business
on my calendar."

"It seems as if I've walked a million miles today," Susan grumbled
good-naturedly.

"It's good for your figure," Penny laughed. "You don't want to get
fat."

"No chance of it around you," Susan retorted.

Penny took the picture and removed the roll of exposed film from her
camera. Walking down Knob Hill, the girls left it at one of the
drugstores in Kendon.

"How soon may we have the prints?" Penny asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon," the clerk promised.

When the girls had left the drugstore, Penny suggested that they drop
in for a moment at Turner's.

"Are you still hopeful that someone will claim the toy lantern?" Susan
inquired with a trace of amusement.

"No, I gave up long ago," Penny admitted. "I just keep asking as a
matter of routine."

"Mr. Turner would let you know if anything develops."

"He might forget," Penny insisted. "Let's drop in for just a minute."

Susan sighed wearily and followed her chum into the store. Mr. Turner
did not look very pleased to see them. He had grown tired of their
frequent calls.

"Nothing new?" Penny asked pleasantly.

The storekeeper shook his head. "I think you may as well take the
lantern with you," he said. "I'm convinced it doesn't belong to any
child around here."

"It begins to look that way," Penny admitted.

She was debating what to do when she felt Susan pluck